From left, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Gary Peters and Sen. Carl Levin. Stabenow and Levin have endorsed Peters to fill Levin's Senate seat after he retires at the end of next year.

Written by

Detroit Free Press Washington Staff

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, already considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat coming open, got endorsements Thursday from both the man he would replace and the woman he would serve with.

Peters first won election to an Oakland County-based congressional district in 2008 and is currently in his third 2-year term.

“Gary has been in Washington a relatively short time, but he’s already made a real difference for Michigan’s families,” Levin wrote, urging supporters to sign on to Peters’ campaign. “Gary is the kind of leader we need in the Senate.”

In her e-mail to supporters, Stabenow — who has risen through the Senate leadership ranks and chairs the Agriculture Committee — announced her “wholehearted endorsement” of Peters.

“Senator Levin has spent his career fighting for middle-class families. We need to make sure the person that gets this post next is ready to do the same. Gary is the person for the job,” she said, also asking her backers to support Peters’ campaign.

Peters continues to look like the odds-on favorite for the nomination, with no other prominent Democrats announcing any intentions to run. The Republican field hasn’t sorted itself out yet, however, with U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Howell, and Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, as well as former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land considering the race.